At an age when most people have long since traded barbells for quieter pursuits, Allen Stanek of the Stanley Boyd High School Class of 1964 is rewriting the record books.
Competing in the 198-pound weight class and the 74-79 age group, the 79-year-old powerlifter set a new United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) National Deadlift Record on September 15, 2026, pulling an astonishing 402 pounds. The previous mark stood at 370 pounds. Stanek’s lift not only erased the old record but did so by a commanding 32-pound margin.
The achievement adds to an already impressive resume. Stanek currently holds the title of USPA Nevada Full Power Divisional Champion, underscoring his dominance across the squat, bench press, and deadlift in his division.
A graduate of Stanley Boyd High School’s Class of 1964, Stanek has quietly built a late-career powerlifting legacy defined by consistency, strength, and an apparent refusal to acknowledge the calendar. While many athletes in their late seventies focus on maintaining health, Stanek continues to chase—and break—national records.
“I’ve always believed that strength doesn’t have an expiration date,” Stanek has said of his training philosophy. On September 15, that belief became measurable fact as the bar left the floor and the new national record was secured.
In a sport that rewards both raw power and meticulous preparation, Stanek’s 402-pound deadlift stands as a clear statement: age may be a number, but records are made to be broken—even at 79.